Beverly’s Story

When Beverly Maloba, 6, shared her water woes in a video some months ago, she was not sure how soon the water woes would end.

“I didn’t know after that story you [World Vision] were going bring us water. I was just surprised one day, machines came to our village. I was told they had come to drill a borehole for us. I was very happy and I went to watch what was happening there,” Beverly narrates.

“I have learned about hygiene and sanitation from mum. And I have been taught that after washing utensils I should always put them on the dish rack that has been made. We also have to use a bathing shelter to wash our bodies and a toilet to answer the call of nurture,” she says calmly.
Doing her Grade 1, Beverly hopes to become a nurse. She lives with her parents in Kapule village of Buyantanshi Area Development Programme (ADP), about 1100 km away from Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.

“I was excited to fetch water at the new borehole. We have been drinking dirty water from a hole at one of the houses near to our home. The water looked dark and was not testing nice,” says Beverly.

“Borehole water is clean and clear compared to the water from the hole. The water from the hole used to make me sick. Mum had to take me to clinic whenever I fell sick,” she says.Beverly who thanks World Vision for the water believes now that she is drinking clean water from a borehole, she would not suffer from diarrhea any more.

“We use the water from the borehole to cook food, drink, and bath and wash my clothes. I will forever be using it to wash my hands and plates,” says Beverly.

Beverly comes from a family of six children – four boys and two girls. She is the fourth born child.

Aneta Chileshe, Beverly’s mother is not only thankful to World Vision for water but also for giving her the knowledge about hygiene and sanitation.

“World Vision trained me about hygiene and sanitation. We were taught that we should have five things at home – a toilet, rubbish pit, dish rack, bathing shelter, tip tap and keeping our bodies, clothes and surrounding clean,” Aneta elaborates.

“I never had such knowledge before. It is so good to learn what I have been taught,” Aneta says. “And because of its good benefits, I have decided to impart the same knowledge to my children because it is very important. They need to grow up with that knowledge to be healthy.”

Aneta says Beverly is one of her children she has already taught about the importance of hygiene and sanitation to equip her for the future, say the Aneta. “I want her to learn to protect herself from diseases while she is young. Once she understands that, she will never forget.”

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“Beverly assists me with a number of chores. She does that on her own, without forcing her. She assists me to fetch water, clean the surrounding and some utensil among other things. She is such a wonderful child,” Aneta affirms.“We no longer use the bush to answer the call of nurture. We also used to bath from the bush or behind the house at night and we used to through the rubbish anyhow. Now we have designated places to do everything,” Aneta says further.

Like her daughter Beverly, Aneta is excited and thankful to World Vision for giving what she calls a special gift she has never received in her life since her childhood.

“I have never tested water from a borehole before. The water from this borehole is the first clean water to enter my mouth and my house. This is a special gift for me from World Vision,” Aneta says as she gets into a deep laughter, expressing her joy.

“My children will no longer be suffering from diarrhea anymore. I no longer worry anymore about my children’s problems of diarrhea. I always remember how John, one of my children almost died because diarrhea he suffered a few years ago,” Aneta recalls.

Aneta says water challenges did not only cause problems in her family bringing diarrhea but it caused her to be worried most of the time especially after the experience she had with John.

“The water you have given us will bring life through hygiene and sanitation and drinking clean water,” she says.